Boiler



H. B. OATLEY Oct. 10, 1933.

BOILER Filed Oct. 8, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l HenrJB,Oa.tIe BY a/m ATTORNEY H. B. OATLEY Oct. 10, 1933.

BOILER Filed Oct. 8, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 17611 715. Oatle BY 5/ ATTORNEY H. B. OATLEY Oct. 10, 1933.

BOILER Filed Oct. 8, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet I 3 [bed [fig/er Patented Oct. 10,1933

UNITED STATES BOILER Henry B. 0atley, Great Neck, N. Y., assignor to The Superheater Company, New York, N. Y.

Application October 8, 1930. Serial No. 487,205 9 Claims. (01. 1 2-31)" My invention relates to boilers and more-particularly to those having forced circulation, and aims to provide a boiler primarily for locomotive and marine work having a low centre of gravity.

Boilers are now in use in which a steam and water drum is arranged above a set of steam generating tubes. Onesuch boiler is illustrated in Patent #1,719,010 to Hartmann. Inrailroad and marine work such a boiler suffers from its high centre of gravity. I

I have found that the steam and water drum for such a boiler may be placed at a level below the level of water in the boiler tubes, whereby panying drawings, three illustrative 'embodi ments of my invention. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation of a double pressure locomotive having indirect generation of high pressure steam;

Fig.2 is a diagrammatic view of the locomotive shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the circuit for the indirect heating generation, certain parts being shown in transverse section for better illustration;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of an industrial steam power plant within my running there across, the firerbox connecting with a combustion chamber '11. The sides and roof of chambers 10 and 11 are formed in known manner by two sets of tubes 12,12 and 14, 14 respectively. Tubes 12 run between'the longitudinal header sections 16, 16 at the lower corhers and longitudinal drums 18, 18 at the upper corners of the chamber 11. Tubes 14 communicate with the sections 16 at their lower ends and into the drums 18 at their upper ends, but bend transversely near the top of the chamber and extend. across the chamber so as to form its roof, with the result that the upper end of each tube 14 lies on the other side of chamber 10 from the lower end thereof. Torpermit an emergency thermal circulation through the tubes 12 and 14, downcomers 20, 20 preferably are provided between the sections 16 and the drums18, checl-:s

19 being used to prevent upflow through tubes trated in Patent #1,'719,010 to'Hartmann and form no part of the present invention The drum 22 to which steam generated by the tubes 12 and 14 is conducted for condensa-Yo tion has a water level 35 therein and, in accord ance with myinvention, is placed at a level below that of the waterin drums 18. As shown, drum 22 extends forward from beneath combustion chamber 11 for a distance beneath the lower H pressure boiler 21 while fire box .10 extends downwardly nearly to the level of the bottom of drum 22, thereby covering the rear end of such drum. The centre of gravity of the boiler is thereby lowered. By placing the fire-tube boiler 30 section 21 above the drum 22 as shown, I have found theavailable space is utilized to better advantage than if the drum'22 were on top, with the result that not only is the centre of gravity of the boiler'lowered; but the head-room is re-, J duced for a locomotive 'of a given output and the output increased for a boiler of a given height and width in that the fire box may be relatively larger and also the area for fire tubes and the cross sectional area of the combustion chamber 9Q may be relatively greater. In the arrangement shown, steam indrums 18 is conducted by pipes 24, 24 to small drums 26, 26. running parallel to the outside of the large drum 22 and steam is taken off from drums 26 by short nipples 28, 28

running through the wall of drum 22 and connecting inside of drum 22 with condensing coils 30, which serve to evaporate water in the drum 22. Condensate from the coils 30 is taken from the lower ends of such coils by nipples 32, 32

running through the wall of the drum 22 and connecting outside of such wall withsmall drums 34, 34. As the drums 34 are below the water level 33 in drums 18, it is necessary that the condensate be pumped back from drums 34 into the steam generating systemof which sections 16 form a part and for this purpose I'have shown pumps '36, '36 connecting with drums 34 by suction pipes 38, 38 and delivering water to the sections- 16 through outlet pipes 40,. 40. While. 0

level of water in drum 22.

pumps 36 are shown as of centrifugal type, I may use reciprocating type condenser pumps if conditions require it. When centrifugal pumps are used, preferably check valves 42, 42 are placed in pipes 40 to prevent back flow of water from sections 16 to the coils 30 when the pumps 36 are idle. While I have shown two pumps 36, this is largely for convenience of illustration and it will be obvious that only one such pump may be used. Feedwater may be introduced into drum 22 through pipe 44 and steam withdrawn therefrom through pipe 46.

It will be seen that an arrangement in accordance with the embodiment of my invention described above obtains the further advantage over those above mentioned of also reducing the required strength and weight of the supporting members used in the present double pressure boilers for the fire-box and back end of the boiler.

While my invention possesses particular advantages as applied'to locomotive boilers and to double pressure boilers, I do not limit myself to such uses, and have illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 a stationary single pressure steam plant embodying my invention. In the arrangement of Fig. 3, the steam generating water ,tubes 50 are arranged in a bank inclined somewhat to the vertical and connected at their bottoms and tops respectivelyto drums 52 and 54 A steam and water drum 22' is placed at a lower level than the tubes 50 and may be either beneath such tubes or at one side of them. Water from drum 22 is taken off through pipe 56a and forced .by pump 36 into'drum 52. Steam and water from drum v54'are returned to drum. 22 by pipe 58.

paratus of Fig. 3, may be placed directly on the ground floor of a building and thereby the expense of supporting a heavy boiler structure may be saved. While the low position of drum 22' necessitates a pump 36' which would otherwise not be required, the pump 36' produces a forced circulation in the steam generating tubes and thereby permits them to be operated at a very high rating, thus reducing the size of the boiler for a given power output. Steam is taken out of the upper portion of the drum 22 through a conduit 59, which connects to condensing coils 30a within said evaporator drum 22a set above the A steampipe 46a connects the interior of drum 22a with the prime mover 60 for supplying steam to the prime mover; Feedwater to be evaporated to furnish steam for prime mover 60 is introduced into drum 220. through pipe 440.. Condensate from the coils 30a is returned to the inlet of pump 36' by a pipe 38a and liquid from the drum 22' is returned to the inlet of pump 36' by pipe 56a. A pipe 40a connects the outlet of pump 36 to the lower part of drum 52 so that water is continuously forced into the lower or inlet ends of tubes 50. It will be seen that the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 3 possesses the advantage that raw water may be used in evaporator 22a so that the exhaust from the prime mover 6D is not valuable and Fig. l, is therefore well adapted for use in plants not having a condenser 64.

It will be understood that in both of the aradapted for use in high pressure boilers. A superheater (not shown) will ordinarily be introduced into steam line 46a.

While I have described Figs. 1, 2, and 3 as having water in the primary generating tubes 10a,

12, 14' and 50, it is evident that mercury, diphenyl,

diphenyl ether, phenanthrene, or other suitable liquid, may be substituted for water in the local circuits of which such tubes form parts and the following claims are to be read as includingsuch a substitution. 7

What I claim is:

1. In a boiler plant, the combination with steam generating water tubes of a steam and water drum having a normal water level lying at a ibo level below the level of the water in said tubes,

means for connecting the outlet ends of said tubes to points within said drum, means to force water from points enclosed by said drum. into said tubes, downccmer water tubes so connected as to cause, when said water forcing means is inactive, a thermal circulation thru the generating tubes when heated, and valve means adapted to prevent said downcomer tubes from passing water when said water forcing means is active.

2. A boiler plant having steam generating wa-,

ter tubes, means for heating said tubes, a steam and water drum having a normal water level below that of said tubes and containing condensing surfaces connected to said tubes, meanswhereby the condensation on said surfaces generates steam for use, and meansfor pumping condensate from said surfaces back into said tubes.

3. The combination with a locomotive combustion chamber of the watertube type of a steam and water drum immediately below said chamber, condensing tubes in said drum,

box is carried to said condensing tubes, and means for pumping condensate from said condensing.

consumption, said condensing means lying at a level below the water level in said first means, pumping means for forcing water from said condensing means back into said first means, and a second generating means of locomotive type arranged above said condensing and evaporating means and to utilize gases from said first means and adapted to generate steam therefrom at a lower pressure than that of said high pressure steam. g

5. The combination in a locomotive of a water tube combustion chamber, a steam and water drum a portion of which is beneath said chamber and containing evaporating means, connections for conducting steam generated in the tubes of said chamber into said means, means for forcing condensate back into said tubes, and a locomotive type ,boiler arranged to receive gases from said chamber and lying above another portion of said drum.

connections. whereby steam' generated in the tubes of said fire-' 6. The combination in a double pressure locomotive of steam generating water tubes, a drum below the level of water in said tubes, means for conducting steam and water from said tubes to points within said drum, means for forcing water from said drum into said tubes, and a fire tube steam generator arranged to utilize heat from gases which have been used in generating steam in said tubes and arranged to overlie said drum.

7. In a boiler plant, the combination of a combustion space, defined in-part by steam generating tubes, a steam and water drum having a normal water level at a level below the level of the water in said tubes, means for connecting the inlet ends of said tubes to points within said drum, means for forcing water from points within said drum into said tubes, means for returning steam and unvaporized water to said drum, downcomer water tubes adapted to cause a thermal circulation through said generating tubes when the generating tubes are heated, and check means in said downcomer tubes and constructed and arranged to close to prevent down-flow of water therein when said forcing means is in operation.

8. The combination in a locomotive, of a water tube boiler and fire box having generating tubes adapted to generate steam at a relativelvhigh pressure, a fire tube boiler arranged to receive gases from said combustion chamber and adapted to generate steam at a lower pressure than said tubes, a steam and water drum arranged beneath said combustion chamber and extending forwardly beneath said fire tube boiler, means for connecting the delivery ends of said tubes to points within said drum, and means for forcing water from said drum into the intake ends of said tubes.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 and in which the fire box substantially covers the rear 

